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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. root — the cause
  4. drill — army training
  5. band — a ring
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. hand — in cards
  8. dip — to sink
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. hand — help
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. band — a music group
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. roll — a cake
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. root — of a word
  21. roll — a list
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. root — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com